Saint Mary's women survive LMU 78-74

MORAGA -- Jackie Nared, Danielle Mauldin and Kate Gaze combined for 68 points and 30 rebounds to help the Saint Mary's College women's basketball team survive a scare from Loyola Marymount 78-74 on Saturday at McKeon Pavilion.

Nared led the way with 28 points and 11 rebounds while Mauldin scored 20 points and pulled down 17 rebounds, leaving her just three shy of setting Saint Mary's and West Coast Conference career records in rebounding.

Gaze added 20 points.

"They did their jobs," Saint Mary's coach Paul Thomas said of his three senior standouts. "Those are the standards that they've set for themselves and those are the standards they expect to keep. The rest of the team, I think everyone contributed in a positive way."

Nared, Mauldin and Gaze needed to have productive days with two regular starters sidelined by injuries. Carli Rosenthal is day-to-day with a sore back, but Saint Mary's (16-3, 6-2 WCC) will be without sophomore guard Lauren Nicholson for an extended period of time (likely 6-8 weeks) after injuring her foot during practice.

Nicholson was averaging 13.1 points per game and is particularly deadly from beyond the arc, ranking fourth in the NCAA in 3-point field goal percentage (48 percent).

Shannon Mauldin and Amanda Arter replaced Nicholson and Rosenthal in the starting lineup.

The Gaels took the lead for good on a Gaze 3-pointer with 13:15 left, but the Lions (5-14, 2-6 WCC) never went away.

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Saint Mary's led just 70-68 heading into the final minute of the game, but came up with enough free throws and key rebounds to hold on and remain in second place in the WCC standings.

It was the Gaels' fourth straight win since being swept on a road trip to San Diego and BYU.

Mauldin, who posted her 15th double-double of the season, will almost assuredly become the school and conference career rebounding leader when the Gaels travel to Pacific in their next game Jan. 25. Former Saint Mary's standout Louella Tomlinson holds the current records with 1,122 career rebounds from 2007-2011.